2014 Jeep Cherokee returns with plenty of muscle

By Nick Tragianis, Postmedia News

Originally published: September 22, 2013

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF. — The windows are best kept rolled up navigating this particular off-road trail nestled deep within the canyons of California. Not so much because it’s hot outside, but because even the lightest breeze kicks up a wall of dust.

Still, whether its windows are up or down, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee effortlessly cuts through the trail’s deep trenches, steep ridges and jagged rocks. As a matter of fact, as long as you’re in one wearing the Trailhawk badge, you’d be forgiven if you couldn’t tell this Jeep is underpinned by a compact car.

Both names mean the world to Chrysler: the Trailhawk badge is reserved only for Jeeps with the most dedicated skill set of off-road muscle. As for Cherokee? Well, its trademark boxiness practically invented the mid-size SUV segment when the second-generation XJ was introduced in 1984.

Thirty years later, the Cherokee is back, replacing the tepid Liberty. Chrysler doesn’t even want you to compare the latest Cherokee to the Liberty; it sees this as an opportunity for a clean slate. Deep down, the Cherokee is a sport-cute, sharing a platform with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Dodge Dart, but — and I know I’m breaking Chrysler’s wish here — it is miles ahead of the Jeep Liberty in every conceivable way.

The Cherokee is powered by your choice of two engine options. The first is the 2.4-litre Tigershark inline-four cylinder shared with the Dart. It pumps out 184 horsepower and 171 lb-ft. of torque. Provided you opt to send power to the front wheels, the inline-four sips as little as 9.6 L/100 km in the city and 6.4 on the highway, according to Chrysler.

Unlike a handful of its competitors, the most powerful engine in the Cherokee lineup isn’t a juiced-up turbo-four. Instead, Jeep stuffed a 3.2-litre variant of its Pentastar V6 under the hood, producing 271 horsepower and 231 lb.-ft. of torque. It may be down on twist compared to the likes of the Santa Fe Sport and Escape, but the icing on the cake is that the V6 is available on every trim level, including the base $23,495 Sport model. In 4×2 guise, Chrysler rates the six-cylinder Cherokee at 10.8 L/100 km in the city and 7.0 on the highway. The four-wheel-drive models are a little thirstier at 11.1 city and 7.7 highway.

No, wait. Scratch that. The icing on the cake is not the engine, but the transmission. Both four- and six-cylinder engines are mated to Chrysler’s nine-speed automatic, a first in the midsize-crossover segment. Paired with the V6 and with the 4×4 option box ticked, this is a wonderfully smooth gearbox that delivers nearly seamless shifts. Once it settles into ninth gear, the Cherokee is a remarkably quiet cruiser on the highway.

Unfortunately, the Cherokee’s inline-four and nine-speed automatic transmission feel worlds different when power is sent to just the front axle. Shifts are still smooth, but somehow in this application, the gearbox seems slower to kick down. Do yourself a favour and stick with the V6 and 4×4 combination; that is clearly the sweetheart pairing of choice. Otherwise, the Cherokee is just a front-wheel-drive crossover without a kick-butt drivetrain.

Speaking of the drivetrain, the Cherokee is available in three different flavours. Active Drive I is your standard, run-of-the-mill system that directs power to any wheels that are slipping. Step up to Active Drive II and things become a little more interesting: It offers a lower gear range as well as hill descent control. Both systems are available across all trim levels, and both systems include Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction control system, which splits power based on a pre-selected mode. Choosing between Snow, Mud/Sand and Sport alters how much power is sent to the wheels. You can definitely feel it when Sport mode is engaged and feeds more power to the rear wheels.

Finally, there is Jeep’s Active Drive Lock, earning the Cherokee its so-called Trail Rated seal of approval. This takes the Active Drive II system and adds a locking rear differential to the mix as well as a Rock mode to the traction control system. The $30,695 Cherokee Trailhawk seems to be pretty much unstoppable with those two additions. Where other midsize crossovers would tuck their tails between their legs and scurry off at the mere suggestion of off-road driving, the Cherokee Trailhawk rips off its shirt, flexes its muscles and cries out, "Bring it on!"

The Trailhawk slots below the $32,195 Limited 4×4 in the Cherokee trim level hierarchy. In addition to the more advanced 4×4 system, you get a raised suspension as well as more aggressive approach and departure angles – 29.8 and 32.1, respectively. Of course, in its journey in becoming a badass, the Trailhawk sports a whole host of cosmetic tweaks, including matte black badges and trim instead of chrome, a unique set of 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels wrapped in Firestone all-terrain tires and bright red tow hooks.

Looks are a subjective point to evaluate, but the general consensus seems to be that the Cherokee’s front end is polarizing at best. Rest assured, the most time you’ll be spending in the Cherokee is behind the wheel, where you can’t even see the front end. Instead, you’ll be immersed in a solid cabin with superb materials throughout. There is no second-guessing the layout as everything is where it needs to be and the Cherokee is available with UConnect, Chrysler’s incredibly intuitive entertainment system.

Stepping out of a Trailhawk blanketed by dirt, it’s clear the Cherokee has many personalities beneath its well-concealed Italian underpinnings. On one hand, you have a compact crossover with a marvel of a V6 engine and a silky smooth transmission that can take on whatever weather is thrown at it. Then you have the Trailhawk, a bona fide off-roader that doesn’t scamper off at the idea of taking the path less-travelled lined with deep ruts and jagged rocks. Is the 2014 Jeep Cherokee worthy of its name? That’s a tough one, so we’ll leave it for the Jeep aficionados to decide.